Tom Flores also out in Raiders broadcast shakeup

Tom Flores was as stunned as anyone about the impending change in the Oakland Raiders’ broadcasting booth.

But a report saying Oakland executives saying Oakland executives are replacing play-by-play announcer Greg Papa with Brent Musburger left Flores wondering about his job status Wednesday morning.

He didn’t have long to wait. A few hours later the color commentator learned he also was out, he told the Fresno Bee.

“All things come to an end,” he told the paper. “I was hoping I would last through the first year in Las Vegas, but it’s not going to happen.”

In a morning interview with the Bay Area News Group, Flores, 81, said he was planning to report to training camp in the coming 1 1/2 weeks.

But after being told his 20-year tenure had ended, the former Raiders coach and quarterback told the Bee, “It wasn’t new when I didn’t hear from them. When they let Papa go, I was: ‘We’ll see what happens. Maybe I’m next.’ And here I am.”

Lincoln Kennedy, the Raiders’ sideline reporter, declined to comment Wednesday when contacted by this newspaper. The former Raiders All-Pro tackle didn’t want to discuss a situation that could possibly affect him without knowing the details.

Flores had created a respected broadcast team with Papa for two decades.

“He’s going to be missed,” Flores told this newspaper. “Nothing is forever.”

Some former Raiders joined the chorus Wednesday by expressing surprise over the reported ousting of Papa, 55.

The popular announcer has spent more than 30 years as a Bay Area broadcaster, working for the Raiders, Athletics, Warriors and Giants at a variety of radio and TV outlets. He currently is a weekday co-host on 95.7 The Game.

Papa plans to address the situation on his Monday show, according to 95.7 colleague Damon Bruce.

The Raiders are scheduled to relocate to Las Vegas in 2020 when their new $1.8 billion domed stadium across from the Strip will be ready.

It appears they have turned to Musburger, who lives in the resort city where he helped launch Vegas Stats and Information Network at the South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa. Musburger hosted “NFL Today” on CBS from 1975-89 and was the halftime host of “Monday Night Football” from 1990-95.

“Sometimes if you have a familiar voice during the transition it makes the transition easier,” said Art Thoms, a Raiders defensive tackle from 1969-75.

Flores, who hadn’t talked to Papa in recent days, didn’t know why the Raiders have made a change, as reported Tuesday by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “Obviously the Raiders want to go a different direction,” said Flores, who coached the team to two Super Bowl titles.

While Flores was searching for answers, Wednesday also was a day of reflection for those who followed Papa’s broadcasts.

“He brought the Raiders excitement and mystique and joy every Sunday and shared it with everybody,” Flores said. “We had a good chemistry from the very first day.”

Papa followed legendary Bay Area broadcaster Bill King as the Raiders’ play-by-play announcer in 1993. Since then the Danville resident became the voice of the Raiders.

“Maybe there is something I don’t know, but yeah, I am shocked,” said Napoleon Kaufman, a Raiders running back from 1995-2000.

Kaufman, Bishop O’Dowd High School’s football coach, described Papa as an announcer who always had the right tone.

“If it was an exciting play he sounded excited,” Kaufman said. “He didn’t try to oversell what people were seeing.”

Thoms, 70, made listening to Papa a daily ritual. He had played when King announced games but eventually got used to Papa’s style.

“It was almost like he had a photographic memory,” Thoms said. “He always was offering some of the history.”